Engine-starting system



Patented July 15, 1924.

`UN1TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES I. KETTEB-IHG, OF DY'I'ON, 01110, AESIGNOB', BY MESNE ASSIGN'MENTB, T0 DELGO-LIGHT GOXPANY, OF DYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01" DELWAIE.,

ENGINESTARTING GYSTEM.

.Application nled Hovember 2, 1918.

To all 'wh0m it may concem:

Be lt. known that I, Cnsrnss F. Ks'rrsn' rNG, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Da 'ton, county of Montgomery, State of O iio, have invented certam new and useful Im rovements in Engine-starting Systems, o which the followmg is a full, clear,- and exact description.

This invention relates to starting stems for internal-combustion' enginbs, ani? more particularly to s stems for use in connection with interna -combustion engines using heavy hydrocarbons, such as kerosene, for

4 fuel.

'The principal objection to kerosene ss a fuel has arisen from its dificulty of vaporization when cold or at normal temperaturcs, and es i from the apparent impossibility o obtam' sufficient 'vaporiza- 20. tionof such cold fuel o permit starting of pgine without the use of any the engine. Many devices have been tried for produeing ready va rization'of this fuel, and a number of t 'se work successfully after the en 'ne has been started u on a high-grade 'fue and o rated until ot, but no successful means or starting'an enlne on kerosene alone has been heretofo're evised.

The object of the present invention,'there fore, is to provide means for subjecting such a. heavy liminary to Operating the starting mechanism, which will induce a suficiently ready vaporization to insure starting of the ensupplementary high gravityjuel whatsoever, and to automatically dely functioning of the starting apparatuszuntil such time as'the preliminary treatment of the fuel has been completed.

This invention has been especially dcvised for use in connection with a lighting system, in which a kerosene engine drives an e ectric machine to charge a stoi' e battery, and it is therefore descrlbed and illuetrated in such connection. It. is to be understood, however, that my invention is by no means limited in its aplicability, but that it may be used'in connection' with any type of mternal-combnstion e characterof the'-'fne used or the purposc to is ut.

w ich like characters o f referencel designate like parts throughout the various'views, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic hydrocarbon fuel to treatment preine regardlcss of the sum na. 280,777.

view of a complete starting system comprising my inventiomand Fig. 2 is a. modified .form of circuit closing apparatus.

In the drawingl 21 is an internal-combustion engine having 'an inlet manifold :22

for supplying the necessary fuel thereto.

operation beinglsuch that when it is desired gz start is supp field magnets and armature thereof, causing a rotatxon of the armature which is operatively connected to the dnvmg shaft or flywheel of the engine. Such rotation of the armatura during the passage of current through the field magengin current from the battery mis m iw' nets will start the engine. Operation of the I engine will in turn rotate the armatureflznd, as soon as the speed of rotation thereof is sutficient, the current-generated will start charging the battery. It. ig quite obvious that any other form of electric starter for the engine can be used, if desired, inasmuch as the precise form of starter is immaterial so far` as concerns this particular invention.

Located in an convenient place is a meter 28, one terminu. I.29 ofwhich is connected to the negativepole 30 o'f the battery 27, by means of the conductor 31. This meter 28 may be an ampere hour meter operable in both directions to "indicatethe state of charge 'of the battery. The other terminal 32 of this meter'is connected through the conductor 33 with one terminal/ of the Controller 35. Another terminal 36 of the controller is, connected through the conductor 37 with the negative terminal 38 of the electric machine 23. The controller 35 is referably similar iii' structure 'to that one illustrated and descri Y in the coa plication. of Charles Kettermg and' illiam A. Chryst, filed Sextember 14', 1916, Serial No. 120,098. Contro er 35 includes a magnet coil 130 connected between terminal' 34 and contact- 131 and magnet coil 132 of terminu 86. Contact 137 may be moved by 4pending ico handle 39 but is insulated therefrom- Contact 138 is normally out of engagement with contacts 131 and 134 but may be moved into engagcment therewith by handle 39. Termin'al 133 is connected by wire 141 with the positive side of thtcharging circuit. Contact 136 is connected b Wire 139 with terminal 140 of the electric machine 23,

The actuator will now be describcd: Carried by the meter 28 and movable across the face thereof for indicatin purposes is a hand 4-0. Rigidly attache to the face of the meter is a contact element 41 connected by means of the conductor 42 to the terminal 43 of a switch operated by the actuator solenoid 46. Movahly attachcd to the aface of the meter 28`is a contact element '14 'connected by means ef the conductor 45 to I'the solenoid, which is in turn connected 20Ithrough the conductor 47 with the poitive ,pole 26 of the battery r27. As the battery discharg'es or charges, the indicating-hand i 40 will move to or from the contact 44. If

the battery discharges a suflicient. amount,l this'hand will move. in contact with the contact element 44 and force vthat element itself'jntocontact with the fixed element 41,

thus closing the circuit from the battery throughthe actuator solenoid 46 to enerthe same.

Positionedadjacent the terminal 43 is a corresponding, terminal 48, connected by means of the conductor'49 and the -heating coil 50 to the'conductor 47, and through that 'conductor to the positive pole 26 of the battery 27.: Located below the terminals 43 and 48 is the actuator dash-pot 51 having there; in a'plunger 52. the upper end of which is extended sufliciently to pass intol the solenoid 40-46. Slidably'surrounding this plunger 52 is a ring contact 53, normally held against the shoulder 54 of plunger 52 by means of the spring 55. This ring 53 is so positioned that normally it is held from contact with the terminals 43 land 4.8. If, however, the contact elements 44 and 41 are moved into contact to thus close the circuit through the ,solenoid 46 and energize that solenoid. vhe

plunger 52 will be draw'n upwardly and the' ring 53, acting under the influence of the s rlng 55, will be moved into contact with t e terminala 43 land 48, thus causing a current to fiow there-across and through the heating coil 50. Because of the dash-pot 51,

the upward movement of the plunger 52., under the action of the solenoid 46, will be gradual, thel speed of movement being, of course, cntirely de endent upon the strength of the solenoid an the rate of lcaka e into the dash-pot below the plunger 52. s soon as the ring 53 closes'the Circuit through the heating coil 50 ,across the contacts 43 and 48, the said 0011.50 will 'begin to heat up, and inasmuch as it surrounds the mtake pipe 55 through whichfuel flows to the cylinder of the engine 21, it is evident that such pipe Will be also heatcd, so that any fucl lowing therethrough `''rill be more casily vaporizcd. It has been found from cxperiencc'that if such a heavy hydrocarbon as kerosenc is passed over ,or through a'heatinv coil of practicahlc (limensions as soon ns current is passed therethrough, the heat of the coil will be dissipated bv the fuel as quilfkly as generated antlwill be insufiicient in amount to rnporize the comparativcly large quantities of fucl passing to the engine. It is' necessary, therefore, to delay thepaage of fuel through the lmanifold until such time as the coil has hnd'an opportunity to heat the cntire body of the' manifold adjacent thereto, so that ample heat will be stored up to cause vaporization of the'fuel before undue cooling of the manifold and heating coil can ensue. Othcrwise starting cannot bc secu red by the use of a heavy fuel alone.

It is to give this opportunity for heating of the manifold that the dash-pot 51 is used. As is clearly shown in the drawing, the plunger 52, when raised suiiciently by the action of the solenoid 46, will contact with the handle 39 of the Controller 35 to cause the separation of contacts 136 and-137 and to cause contact 138 to move into enagement with contacts 131 and 134, therey permitting the passage of current from the ba tery 27 to the electric machine 23 throug the following circuit: wire'25,`electric machine 23, terminal 140,' Wire 139, contact 136, Wire 135, contact-134,` contact 138, contact 131, magne't coil 130, terminal 34, wirc 33, meter 28 and Wire 31. The electric machine is thus operated as al starting motor, which, having a series field winding, has strong 'starting characteristics. By using the dashpot 51, the upward. movement of the plunger tomove' the handle 39 is dclnyedsufliciently to permit of a proper heating of the manifold 22. Consequently, when the handle 39 is moved to start the engine, the manifold is heated to such a temperature that the tirst kerosene drawn therethrough is so vaporized as to permit immediate starting of the engine.

As described above, the starting of the engine is completely automatic and the apparatus is so arrangedv that such starting `will take place before the battery'has discharged sufliciently to cause any injury thereto. It is quite obv'ious, however, that manual starting of the enine may be desirable; as' for instanoe, w ere the battery is not discharged sufliciently to cause an automatic starting, but where, nevertheless, it is desired to renew the charge of the battery. In order to permit of manual starting of the en 'ne, a hand-operated switch 56 is provide which is adapted to close the circuit from the negative pole of the battery 30, through the actuator solenoid 46,

willi the same ensuing Operations as are present where the starting is automatic. It is m'idi'nt that to start the engine manually, il is mcri'ly necessary to hold Such switch closed uniil the engine is started. This will |'.'-u|t in the passage of a current through the solenoid 46 to move the rin 53 into contact u'ithjthe tcrminals 43 an 48, with a resulting passage of current .through the heating coil 50. 'l`his will also, in due'time, cause the plunger 52 to move thelbandle 39, i and thus start the engine. starting ofthe engine, therefore, either automatically 'or manually, involres a definite sequen'ce of operations; in other words, closing'of the circuit throughthe solenoid 46, eithermanually or automatically, results in the pasaage 'of a current through the heating coil 50, and, after a predetermined length of time, in closing of the 'circuit su plying current to the starter 23, to bring a ut-starting of the engine;

As soon as speed of operation,

the engineattains a suflicient the electric-machine 23 will begin to charge the battery 27. This will result in a moi'ement, of the hand 40 away from the movable .contact 44 'to thus i breakthat contact and break the current flowing` through the solenoid 46. This will inV turn result in a return of the plunger 52 to thebottbm-of the dash-pot 51 to break the contact between the ring 53 and the terminals 43 and 48, and to also permit of 'a return movement of the ontrollerdlandle 39' and the resilient vcontact; 137, which lat; tor, by engaging withcontact 136, will .short-circuit the series field windin' dur-- ing` the generating operation of the e ectric jnachine. The controller handle 39 having returned' to its originah position, the con-` `troller will then be free to operate as a ciruit break'r to automatically break the 'char-ging circuit across` the terminala 34 and 36.

As'described 'in the copending application referred to,| the contact 138 is maintained magnetically in engagemeht with contacts 131 and-134 during the normal gener ing operation of dynamo 23. But, if for .any reason, the enerator voltage should :dei crease below attery voltage, a reversal of .current in magnet coil 130 'will cause -coils 130 and 132 to act dilferentially with the :result that the contact 138, will drop-away from the contacts 131 and 134 and the cirifbetween the battery and the 'generator will broken. .Thus it is apparent that the return of the plunger 52 to the bottom of the dash pot permits of theautomatic breaking of the charging circuit in the man'- ner described. Fig. 2 showsa rnodificati/onof/flie actuating .mechanism for the heating an d startingapparatusf Contact of the termmals 4z and 41 causes a passage of current through rop away` from contacts 131v with an internal-combustion engine and the heatingoil 50. This coil is adapted not onlyi to heat the manifold with=which it is associated, but, also, to heat the tbermostatic stri 60 and cause suicient, deforma- 'tion of t at strip to close the' switch 62, '{f.

which allows the passage of current through the solenoidfl and'thus causesa closing of the circuit through the`v starting mecha- 'nism. The solenoid 63 may operate handle 39 of controller 35 in any suitable manner, for example by drawing'down a lung'er 63' which moves a lerer 6,3" upwardly into enga ement with handle 39.4``

A tor the v'engine has been started and the' batte charging operation continucs, the hand nioyes away from contacts.44,/ 41 ermitting` them to 's'eparatev and. to brea the circ'uit to the intake' manifold heater 50. ,Then thermostatic strip 60 will. unbend' and interrupt the circuitibetween the battery 27 and solcnoid h` Thereupon controller handlelg 'may return tojn'ormal osition, andlthereaftcr theicontact 138 may and 134 when the controller 35 operasautmatfieallyto, break the circuit-i'between the'dynarno andl battery.

iVhile the formsof mechanimsherein shown vand -described constitufe prcferred embodimcnts of one formof .thimfentiom it is to ,bc undcrstood rthat. other.=`forms `might be al opted,-anr] Yariouschangesand altcralfions ma'do in 'the shape,.size`; .and pro portioa' of the elements thereinwitliout departin from the spirit and seope ;ofth mvent on.` i

claim asnew and: desire to setmre'y "by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a startmgsystem, the combination.. with ain internal-conrlbuL-ation engine and a dynamo electric machine driven thereby-as a generator, but operable as a motor to start the engine; of a battery; a controllerffor'o connecting the dynamo with the-batteiy; an electric fuel vaporizerfan electrica ly operated actuator for con'necting said raperizer witbthe battery 'and then, after a pre'- determined period, for rendering thd'controller operative, said actuator having an electromagnet and a movable member' con-V 11,5 trolling the vaporizer duriii the first part. i of its movemcnt and then t e starter. oon" troller during a predetcrmined later. part' of its movement, said actuator having means to retard the movement of said movable member toward the magnet; and means for conneting said magnet with the battery.

2. In a starting system, the combinationy a dynamo electric machine driven thereby as a generator, but operable as a motor to start the engine; of a .batterya controller for connecting the dynamo with the battery; an electric fuel vaporizer; an electrically operated actuator for connecting said vaporizerizo ,with the battery and then, after a predeter- 'min'ed period, for rendering the controller operatiye;'said actnator having an electroma'gnet and-a movable member'controiling 5' the vaporizer diiring the first part of its movement and then the starter .controller during a predetermined latter part of its.

movement, said actuator having a dash'- ot [to retard the movernent of said move le member toward 'the magiict; and means for conecting said magnet with the battery. 3. In a starting system, the combination with an internal-'combustioii en ine and a -fstarting 'device therefor; of a, uel raporizer; a-currentysoiirce'; an actuatoi' having an electromagnet and a movable member ,for rendering' the fuel vaporizer operative dm'in the first 'part of its"movement, and

i then or rendering the starter operative during` a predetermined later nart of its movement, saidiactuator havingl dash-pot provifsions to-retard the movement of said movable member; and means for connecting the' magnet V with theydcurrent source.

v`4. In'a starting system, the combination 'with an internal-combustionen ineI and a i dynamo electric machine driven t ereby and operablef'asjagenerator or as a motor to -start.tlie,engine;A ofra battery; a cqntroller ad `ge t h e`r to o ratethe latter as a motor, said co'ntroller aving'l provisions for maintaim- -ing said connections between the battery and 'for conneetingthe battery and dynamo todyn'amoduring the generating operation of the Ii'itter, saidV provisions', automatically i breaking Said connections when the battery tends to discharge through the dynamo;) a fu'el iaporizer; an actiiator operable to rena a der. thei. fuel vaporizer operative and' then, 40

` Controller operative' and means for controlafter ajpredetermined period t`reneler 'the Iing saidlactuator, the release of said' means permitting the said automatic'operation of id cont'roller. '5. In a starting system, the combination with .an internal-combiistion engine and a duyiiamq` electric machine driyen thereby and operable as a generator or as a motor to start the engine; of a battery; a controller for connecting the battery and dynamo together to opei'ate the latter as a motor, said ontroller 'having provisions for maintaining said connections' between the battery and dynamo during the gencg-ating operation of the lattcr, said provis'ions automatically breaking said connections when the vbattery tends to discharge through the dynamo; a fuel vaporizer; andmeans for rendering the vaporizer operative and then, after a predetermined period for i'enderingV the controller'operative, said means being dependent on the .state of battery char e, the release of said means permitting t e said automatic operation of'said controller.

6. In a starting system, the combination with' an internal-combustion enginevand la.

dynamo electric machine driven thereby and operable as a generator 'or as a motor to start the engine; of a battery; acontroller for connecting the battery and dynamo to' lgether to operate the latteras a motor, said .quent certain battery charge to disconnect said actu'ator from the battery, whereby to' release said actuator to permit'the said automatic operation of the controller;

In testimony whereof I afix my signature. i

CHARLES F. KE'r'rERIG.

Witnesses:

J.. W. McDoNALn, ll/I. A. PEARE. 

